Beyond a Simple Thank You!
by MasterSqueakToy
Summary: After years of being married to Sasuke, Sakura can't help but feel guilty about the bottled up thoughts she's had for Naruto. Thinking she would feel better, she wrote her feelings down in a single letter. The question is, will he ever get a chance to read it? After all...Naruto is married to Hinata. Post Chapter 700. NS. Rating changed from T to M for later chapters. Review!
1. Thank You Letter

**Beyond a Simple Thank You!**

Sakura walked toward the hokage office holding protectively onto an envelope. In this world, everything was quiet and peaceful. She didn't know if Naruto had fully destroyed the cycle of hate, but this as close enough. There was peace, and yet it all felt so strange to her. She had her happy ending; Sasuke and Sarada and yet she couldn't forget the nights when her bed felt lonely. She couldn't forget the moments when she was reminded of their days as Team 7. She couldn't forget the guilt and regret she often felt through-out the years. As she walked toward the hokage's office she made sure to keep her eyes down. No one questioned her presence; after all, she was the disciple of Lady Tsunade. She was a legendary sannin.

She knocked on the door before walking in to see Naruto sleep at his desk. Empty cups of ramen were scattered beside his laptop. She spotted a picture of Team 7 and a warm smile slipped onto her lips. Carefully she reached out to pick it up but stopped when she saw the picture of Naruto with Hinata and their children. The constant throbbing of her heart was replaced with a shattering pain. She glanced over at him. His blonde hair was always cut short now, while slowly Sakura's hair had grown back to the length it had when they were children. After all, Sasuke…did like girls with long hair. She looked down at the envelope, then toward Naruto wondering if she should give it to him at all.

That is until she noticed one of his blue eyes peeking up at her.

"Sakura-chan," he whispered.

He hadn't called her that in years. Sakura-chan. For a moment, she saw the little boy she had spent so many years with. She didn't say anything, but stared at him while clutching her letter.

"Why are you crying, Sakura-chan?" Naruto whispered.

"I…uh…" she began. Why couldn't she say anything?! Why did she feel as though a lump had formed in her throat, choking out her words.

"Idiot," she managed to whisper before forcing herself to laugh, "I'm not crying." She stuffed the letter into the pocket of her lab coat. "I wasn't sure if you were in your office or not. With everything so peaceful, I'm surprised you still spend so much time here."

"It's the duty of the hokage, right?" Naruto lightly smiled.

As of late, Naruto had struck Sakura as being more serious and mature as a whole. He was far more _grown up_ than the boy she remembered, but that smile…she remembered that smile. It was the same smile he gave her years ago during the war when she refused to be left behind. It was the smile that often encouraged her. Her heart was beating so quickly, as tears continued to spill out of her eyes. Playfully she punched him against the side of his head, but it wasn't nearly as hard as she had in the past.

"What about your family? You should spend time with them," she explained. Every word she said, pained her more and more. She felt her stomach twisting with guilt as he continued to smile up at her with those blue eyes. "What?" she asked, unsure of what he was looking at, but he didn't answer, instead he kept smiling.

"Nothing," Naruto laughed before standing to his feet. It was weird, because she could remember when he was so much shorter than her. He was such an impulsive goofball, who dove into dangerous situations without thinking of the risks. Despite his carelessness, his ability to talk to even the most dangerous villains, she never once doubted that he would become hokage. Protecting that dream of his became her duty, and now that he accomplished it…she saw less and less of him. He daughter was now enrolled in the ninja academy…there was no time for living in the past, and asking herself questions of _what if. _

Naruto started picking up the various empty cups of ramen, and tossed them in his trashcan.

As she watched him, she couldn't help herself but wonder…what would have happened? She often hated that she cried as much as she did, but she couldn't help it. Never before did she have to bottle up her feelings around Naruto. It was always Sasuke. She believed that Sasuke was her dream. She always wondered what their first kiss and first night would be like together, and yet she often felt as though something were missing.

Then Naruto looked back at her and lightly laughed, "Sakura-chan, you're always crying." Gently he wiped away her tears with his hand. Without warning, she tightly wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly, burrowing her face into shoulder.

Naruto was always there. She never had to chase him…he was just there. However, he belonged to Hinata. She and Hinata were friends and she would never betray that.

"Sakura-chan," he whispered before laughing, "You're squeezing me a little too hard."

Her face heated up as she quickly released him, and crossed her arms over her chest. Swiftly she glanced away from him, not wanting him to see how badly she was blushing. "Well, I guess I'll let everyone know you're still here," she told him as she waved her hand dismissively. Before she could leave the room, Naruto said, "What's that in your pocket?" She looked down to the envelope poking out of her pocket. She drew out the letter and looked at it for a moment.

With a forced laugh she said, "It's not important," and moved to rip the envelope in half.

"Wait," Naruto said, causing her to pause. "Let me see." And then playfully he yanked the letter out of her hand.

"It's a waste of time," she said as she tried to steal it back, but Naruto held the envelope high out of her reach. She found herself bringing up her hand to slap him, but stopped. "Fine, do what you want." Without another thought she walked out of the office and closed the door behind her.

Naruto opened up the letter to be greeted with Sakura's had writing.

Naruto,

I just want to say thank you for everything you have done for me. Thank you for being there with me during the great times and the bad. Thank you for encouraging and motivating me when I was at my lowest, my weakest state. You endured my temper and protected me when you didn't have to. Thank you for your sacrifices. Most of all…thank you for loving me, more than anyone ever had. There are nights when I wonder what you're thinking, and then I remind myself that Hinata is more suited than I am. I'm not sure I could have ever given you the love that you deserve. This letter isn't to ask for a chance. I know something like that disappeared years ago. This letter is just to let you know that I am thankful, and I realize how special you truly are. I've known for a long time now. So thank you, Naruto, for being a part of my life. I will always be there to support your dreams, even if it's from a distance.

Her name wasn't signed.

Naruto bolted out of his office to see Sakura standing before him. She wore a smile Naruto wasn't sure if he had seen before. He knew it was fake, but he wasn't sure why.

"I told you it wasn't important," she lightly laughed as she took a step back, but then Naruto stepped toward her, and took her hand. Her face immediately burned a bright red. It was stupid how embarrassed she suddenly felt. "Don't be stupid. You're the hokage, a husband, a father—." He suddenly kissed her. She slapped him only to have him hold her hand to his cheek afterward. He parted his lips from hers and stared deeply into her green eyes with his blue ones. Those orbs reminded Sakura of the ocean, they were so beautiful. They weren't cold at all. Her heart was beating rapidly.

"Anyone can see us," she harshly whispered.

Naruto lightly laughed and whispered, "And that's what I like about Sakura-chan."

"What are you talking about?" She questioned, not feeling even more embarrassed than before.

"You've always been so smart, Sakura-chan. And made sure to look out for both of us. That's what I like about you," he answered. "All I've wanted was your happiness, Sakura-chan. If Sasuke doesn't make you happy, then I guess I didn't do my job right."

"Idiot," Sakura cried as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I wish I could have picked you."  
"Don't cry, Sakura-chan," he said, "Who knows…maybe in another life, we could be together."

"Maybe…" she answered.

"But that won't change that you'll always have a place in my heart too," he grinned.

Although it wasn't the answer she was looking for, whenever he smiled like that…she believed him.

_'Thank you, Naruto, for still being the Naruto I fell in love with…' _ she thought to herself as she hugged him once more. _'Thank you.'_


	2. House Guests

**CHAPTER TWO.**

**House Guests**

That night, as Sakura cooked dinner, she could hear her daughter Sarada ranting in the back around about something else Bolt did at school. It wasn't until she heard the raven haired child voice, "Mom, why are boys so stupid?" That she glanced back over her shoulder. "None of the guys in our class are cool at all!" she complained, before huffing a sigh, "Well, I guess there's Shikadai, but even he's annoying."

For a moment, Sakura wondered if this was how she sounded. She remembered telling her mom about how embarrassing Naruto was on a daily basis. The pink haired kunoichi turned back to look once more at the stove to check her soup. A tiny smile formed on her lips as she thought more to those days as a child. She remembered the pranks Naruto would pull. Although she never admitted it, she really enjoyed them.

"You never know, one day you'll find yourself falling in love with one, and find yourself doing stupid things too," Sakura lightly laughed, only to hear her daughter make a sound of absolute disgust.

"Well, dinner's ready, go ahead and wash up," Sakura voiced.

Sarada hopped up from the table and moved off to the bathroom. It was at that moment Sakura heard a knock at the front door. "Coming," she called out as she took off her apron. She quickened her pace to the door, but when she opened it, she was surprised to see Naruto. She was stunned for a moment, unable to say anything. That is until he did his trademark laugh and said, "Good evening, Sakura-chan."

"What are you doing _here?!"_ Sakura immediately said, making sure to keep her voice down. "What if someone sees you?"

"Why would it be weird?" he asked. "You're Sakura-chan. We were both members of Team 7. Why can't I visit?"

Her face was burning very hot and appeared redder than a tomato.

"Mama, who is at the door?" she heard Sarada call out from the kitchen.

"Oh, it's just a friend," Sakura lightly laughed, however her voice felt a little awkward leaving her lips. She didn't know if she needed to invite Naruto inside of not. She looked back at him and quickly whispered, "What about your house? Aren't you missing dinner?"

"No one is expecting me," he added, "Sometimes I spend a lot of my time in my office."

Sakura slapped him, this time hard enough for it to sting. Naruto winced, but she didn't change her angered expression. "Naruto…you have a family. You can't neglect them."

He felt his cheek and looked once more to the medical ninja. "But that's the thing, Sakura-chan….I want _you_ to be my family. You always heard about my feelings from other people, but I want to tell you right now. I want to do it right."

"No…please don't," she whimpered as she pressed her forehead to his chest. "If I hear this…then…how am I supposed to continue being his wife…?"

"Maybe you don't have to be?" Naruto lightly laughed as he pet the top of her head.

"Why is the Seventh here?" Sarada suddenly asked, causing Sakura to immediately step back from the blonde, before whipping around to see her daughter.

"Ah, the hokage is a good friend of mommy's," Sakura told her with a smile. "He just wanted to stop by and check on things." Then she looked over her shoulder to say, "I'm sorry, but you just missed Sasuke. I believe this time he's trying to master a new jutsu. I'm not sure, but I'll let him know you stopped by."

Naruto nodded, but instead of leaving he stooped down so he was at Sarada's level. "Sarada-chan, I hear you're doing really good in school."

The young girl adjusted her glasses and nodded. "I am an Uchiha, so it's expected," she answered, but then narrowed her eyebrows. "But not everyone has the same sense of pride?"

"Eh?" Naruto questioned, unsure of what she meant, so she continued.

"You might need to train Bolt better. All he does is goof off, and he's the son of the hokage!" she exclaimed. Immediately Sakura covered her mouth and lightly laughed. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine," Naruto smiled. "She reminds me of you, haha. Well, bye." He stood back to his feet. "Oh, and don't worry, Sarada-chan. I'll make sure to talk to Bolt."

"Good," she muffledly said behind her mother's hand.

Sakura watched him walk away. Why was her heart beating as quickly as it had been? She looked back down at her little girl and scolded, "You know better than to talk to company like that. Now, come along. Let's have dinner."

"Yes ma'am," left Sarada's lips as she followed Sakura back to the kitchen. Although once she sat down in her seat and they started eating, the young girl suddenly asked, "Why isn't dad ever home? Doesn't he miss us?"

"I'm sure he does," Sakura answered as her eyes stayed on the rice. The idea that Naruto wasn't happy at home gave her a strange sense of hope. She wondered what it would be like to see that goofy smile of his when she first wakes up in the morning; to hear him say _"Good morning, Sakura-chan." _

"Mom, are you listening?" Sarada asked.

"Huh? Yeah," Sakura quickly answered.

"I don't think I like anyone at school," she admitted. "I don't really have any…_friends._ I mean, the only girl that sort of talks to me is ChoCho and we're just way too different. And Himawari is a _baby." _

"She's not a baby," Sakura said.

"Mom, she isn't old enough to go to school. She's a baby!" Sarada argued before once more returning to her dinner. She was polite and detested messes of any kind. Sakura couldn't deny that she found her daughter's little quirks cute. Although she did wish she was more open to her peers. Then again, Sakura's first real friend was a result of being bullied. Maybe Sarada would find her own Ino? Unless she was more like Sasuke…

"You'll make friends," Sakura assured her. "Sometimes all it takes is being put on the same team with someone. You may dislike the person at first, but as time goes on…he or she will leave an imprint on your heart."

Once again, Sarada made a face of disgust.

After dinner and Sarada was sent up to her room, Sakura stayed in the kitchen tidying up everything. Her thoughts remained on Naruto. If she didn't fear Sarada gossiping to her classmates the next day, she would have asked him to stay. The idea of him eating her cooking excited her.

"Sarada-chan, I'm going to step out for some fresh air," she called out, and walked out onto their back porch from the kitchen. She leaned over the balcony toward the beautiful city Konoha had become. She stared at the clouds passing over the moon, blocking its rays. She looked at the few lights illuminating windows as she wondered what everyone else was doing. Looking at all of these different things helped to distract her from _him_.

She didn't want to think that her loneliness was effecting her. Sasuke was rarely home as it was, and they were rarely intimate with each other. Even when they were, it wasn't what she expected. When she was with Sasuke, something was missing. She was sure he adored Sarada, but there were times when she wasn't sure. Sakura could never read what he was thinking. She never could.

Was it weird…that it took a loveless relationship to open her eyes to how much she cared about her friend? She felt like a monster because of it, and yet…there was a part of her that didn't care. She wanted to see Naruto, but she didn't want to hurt Hinata. She didn't want to hurt the families, or Naruto's reputation as hokage. The things she wanted had too much of a risk attached to it.

A flower dropped onto her hand causing her to look up to the sky. She didn't see anything. "Sakura-chan," Naruto whispered from her behind her. Immediately she whipped around ready to hit, but stopped when he grabbed her hand.

"What the hell!?" she exclaimed. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

When he laughed with a light smile, she found herself furrowing her brows.

"Wait, what about dinner with your family?" she asked.

"I'm there, technically the me you see is just a clone, but Sakura-chan, I do have a message!"

"A message?" she asked, unsure of how she felt about this.

"Meet the real me at my office later tonight," he told her.

"But wait, what about Sarada-chan, she'll be sleeping and—."

"The village is safe, she'll be fine," Naruto assured her. "When was the last time anything happened?"

She stared at him as she thought. There were so many things that she didn't like about this plan, especially with the off-chance that something would happen. Sarada was her life. So the pink haired woman crossed her arms over her chest and huffed, "If you have something to tell me, then you should tell me right now."

"It's not something I would want to do as a clone," he admitted.

"Then come to my house later tonight," she told him.

"But Sakura-chan, that's too risky!" Naruto complained.

"And leaving my daughter sleeping in my house alone, isn't?!" she snapped.

"Ok, ok," he said with a light laugh.

"That is if your message is _that_ important," Sakura added, although she didn't want to admit she was feeling rather nervous the more she thought about it. "Hinata may want you to stay in for the night…please don't be unfaithful to her…"

"Don't worry," Naruto whispered in her ear. "That's why I want to talk to you tonight. I'll meet you here on the porch again."

"Ok…" she answered, and then he poofed into a cloud of smoke, leaving her alone. What had she agreed to? She quickly walked back into her house unsure of what she should do next. Her house was spotless (as always), and Sarada was sleeping. The pink haired girl moved over to her personal bathroom, thinking it would be best to go ahead and shower before he arrived again.

'_Sasuke's going to find out. No, everyone is going to find out…' _

After her shower she slipped into one of her nighties. She bought several hoping to impress Sasuke, but she rarely used them with him. They never made love, it was only rough sex whenever he felt like it. Like when she was cooking in the kitchen and he pressed her against the counter. "Then again, what if that's not even what he wants to talk about," she asked herself as she admired her body in the mirror. "He could be coming over just to…talk. He said he wasn't going to be unfaithful to Hinata." She tugged on her robe and tied it tightly over herself to cover the rest of her body.

There was a chance Naruto wouldn't even come. She walked down to the kitchen and looked out to the porch to see no one. She sat down in one of the chairs and waited. For hours as she sat in that chair, she could feel her heart shattering to pieces. She laid her head down against the table as she kept watching the glass door. She felt tears spill out of her green eyes. "I can't do this," she said and pushed herself to her feet. Sakura wiped her eyes and walked out of the room.

_Knock. Knock. _

She felt her heart skip a beat and she rushed back into the kitchen to see Naruto waiting outside of the porch door. Sakura immediately opened the door and he stepped inside. She didn't wait for him to say anything but wrapped her arms around his neck. "I thought you changed your mind," she whispered.

"No, I just had a hard time leaving," Naruto told her before using his hand to tilt her chin up to him and leaned down to plant a kiss on her lips. When their kiss broke he whispered, "I'm going to leave her, because you were always the one I loved, Sakura-chan."

"But what about Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

"You could leave him too," Naruto said with a shrug.

"What about the children?"

"They'll be fine," Naruto assured her. "They aren't going to be neglected."

"What will the village think?" Sakura asked.

Naruto grabbed both of her shoulders with his hands and stared at her in a manner more serious than she ever saw in the past. "Sakura-chan, it'll be ok. I promise, and you know I don't go back on my promises."

She glanced over toward the door, then took hold of his hand, quietly leading him to her bedroom. Once they were behind a closed door she asked, "Was that what you wanted to tell me?"

Naruto cupped the side of her face and said, "Sakura-chan you are so special to me. I love your temper, I love how smart you are…and most of all, I love that charming forehead of yours." And gently he leaned in and kissed her forehead.

She was blushing so badly. Her first instinct was to push him away, but she didn't. Instead, she slid down the side of her robe to reveal her shoulder. His eyes widened in disbelief for a second before he leaned down and gently planted tiny kisses on her skin. He slid down her robe with both of his hands, rubbing her arms along the way. Electricity seemed to skipper up her body. Naruto's touch was more than she had ever expected. His kisses were like heaven. His soft lips against her neck, caused her entire body to melt like chocolate.

A sharp breath broke from her lips as she felt him kiss her neck harder, her body was tugged closer to his. She could feel that he wanted her. She could feel him pressing against her hip. It was such an inviting sensation. She was so focused on the feel of his body, she didn't realize they were now laying on the bed. His tongue trailed down her body, against her skin, leaving goosebumps all over. He nuzzled her lingerie. It wasn't until he at the thong portion and started to move the fabric away with his teeth, that Sakura said, "I don't know if we should do this now."

His kissed her beneath causing a sharp gasp to leave her lips. "N-Naruto, I'm serious," she forced herself to say, although everything inside of her screamed for him to continue.

"But I bet Sakura-chan tastes delicious," he teased.

"Not until you officially leave her," she told him.

He teased her once more with his tongue, sending another shiver over her body.

"What if something happens?" she asked, however her voice didn't have as much power this time. She was breathing hard as the lower part of her body was pulsing.

She felt his mouth move upon her and she grabbed a pillow to place over her mouth. Every kiss, every flick of his tongue, caused her body to grind more invitingly to him. It was then that he kissed the inner part of her thigh and said, "I promise I won't let anything happen to you, Sakura-chan. Consider this a new promise of a lifetime."

* * *

**Author Note: **Yay, this story is no loner a one-shot! So I'll most likely update once a week. That's my goal at least. i'm currently writing a ChoxHina story at the same time. Anywho, please review! And stick along, while this story will most likely take a number of angsty turns, I hope you read till the end! Byebye! xoxo


	3. In Confidence

**CHAPTER THREE**

**IN CONFIDENCE**

The next couple of days were odd for Sakura. Every time she caught a glimpse of Naruto's smile, she felt her heart melt. This melting sensation wasn't like the butterflies Sasuke had given her in the past, but a tantalizing thrill. She and Naruto did not meet with each other, but she longed to be alone with him. It was often when Sarada asked about her father, that Sakura felt herself crashing back down to reality.

The pink haired kunoichi drew the cup of coffee to her lips as she leaned against the counter in the hospital's break room. Ino Yamanaka watched her suspiciously. Sakura glanced over, and parted her lips from her cup. "What?" she asked cluelessly.

"Sakura…" Ino began as she walked closer to the girl. She took a moment to look around before setting her gaze once more on the girl. "What happened?"

"Huh?" Sakura questioned almost choking on her coffee.

"You've been too quiet lately. Something's happened. It's not like you to constantly daydream," Ino explained.

Sakura felt her heart raise its tempo, as she remembered that Ino was an expert in interrogation. Lying to her would be difficult, but there was no way she could admit what was happening between her and Naruto. "Sasuke should be coming home soon," the pink haired woman answered. "I miss him."

"You're lying," Ino declared, causing Sakura's eyes to widen as her entire body went stiff. The blonde observed Sakura carefully before continuing, "And the fact that you named Sasuke-kun means you must be thinking of someone who _isn't _Sasuke-kun."

Sakura set down her coffee, and moved to the door to close it. She was screwed and she had backed herself into a corner. "Ino…you are my best friend," Sakura began with her back to the other female. "So what I'm about to tell you…you cannot, and I repeat, _cannot_ tell anyone."

"When have I ever told one of your secrets?" Ino questioned with a dismissive shrug.

Even with that statement, Sakura wasn't sure. She quickly surveyed the room to make sure there was nothing to incriminate her. She peered out of the window, to ensure no one was eavesdropping. She and the other girl were alone. She forced herself to take a deep breath. It was a pointless attempt to calm her nerves. Then Sakura turned to face Ino, and suddenly said, "What would you do if you felt as though you made a huge mistake that affected your entire life and you want to take it back?"

"Like…?" Ino asked, unsure if she was following.

"I should have never married Sasuke-kun," Sakura confessed with a frown. "I just…after looking back all of these years, the person I wanted this entire time…was right there beside me, but I didn't see it until it was too late."

Ino was silent, causing Sakura's anxiety to swell within her.

"Please don't tell me that what I'm feeling is ridiculous!" Sakura exclaimed, "I feel like I'm going fucking crazy! As if nothing makes sense. And to make matters worse, he still likes me. The idiot still fucking likes me." Sakura leaned once more against the counter top and closed her eyes. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "I hate this…this is starting to spiral into a complicated mess and ugh…fuck."

Then that's when she felt Ino's soft lips on hers. Sakura opened her eyes, unsure of what was happening. "What are you doing?!" Sakura exclaimed, only to be greeted by a laugh of the other female.

"Calming you down," Ino grinned, before moving so she was standing beside Sakura, rather than in front of her. "But no, I understand what you mean. I had that sort of realization one night a few years ago, when I woke up and saw Sai beside me. It was the whole, huh, so this is what forever feels like? Don't get me wrong, he's cute, but Sai…he's boring."

"No, I know," Sakura lightly laughed. "I mean, he was my teammate."

"And you didn't warn me, why?" Ino teased, managing to get a laugh out of Sakura. "See, now that's the Sakura I know. Well, there's also the I-have-a-stick-shoved-up-my-ass Sakura as well."

Sakura offered Ino the craziest of expressions before pinching the blonde's arm.

"Ow, ow, I take it back," Ino laughed within her winces. When Sakura released her, a light breath left Ino's lips as she looked up toward the ceiling fan's blades spinning. "I use to have this kinky dream. I couldn't move, it was as though I was bound, but there wasn't a rope. My heart was pounding in my chest as I saw him slide his hand up my skirt. Now, don't forget, the entire time I was paralyzed. I regained control over my toes right when I involuntarily made them curl. I remember him crawling over me and I whispered, _"but what if my husband finds out"_ and he just offered that same smirk he always did in the past…" Ino glanced over toward Sakura. "Then I woke up."

"Wait…that's how it ended?"

"Well, yeah," Ino admitted. "I mean, it wasn't like I could go up to him and say, "hey I know you're married and all, but I had the wildest dream that you were fucking me"." Ino rolled her eyes before looking ahead once more. "I think because of the general lack of luster in my relationship, I've found myself just wanting something _more_."

"Right," Sakura answered disappointedly.

"So you know he likes you too?" Ino asked.

"Yeah," Sakura replied. "At least that's what he told me."

Ino smiled a sad smile before saying, "I guess you truly are always one step ahead of me."

Sakura looked at the blonde ninja and pulled her into a tight hug. "You know, it's not like you to admit defeat," the lead medical ninja whispered with a playful laugh. Ino shrugged her shoulders. "Sakura, our game ended a long time ago. Remember, you married Sasuke."

"Fuck Sasuke-kun!" Sakura snapped as she took a step back. Ino stared at her in disbelief, unable to process words. Sakura continued, "I hate how caught up I was in him. I hate how stubborn I was! I hate that the dream I held so tightly to, wasn't what I had expected. Yes, he says he loves me. Yes, he always brings me back a present whenever he ventures off. Yes, he offers me tiny little smiles. However the Sasuke-kun I loved, the one I pined for, didn't exist." He didn't exist. That was the first time she had ever voiced that aloud. So, was her unhappiness even Sasuke's fault.

Ino placed a hand on her shoulder before gently squeezing it. "If you need anyone to talk to, I'm here for you."

* * *

After work, Sakura went to the market to find something for supper. She glanced over at the produce section. Maybe tonight she would make some kind of curry? And then that's when she saw the tomatoes, and felt her heart sink. Why was she thinking of Sasuke? Or more so, she wondered what he would say, or how he would react to find out his wife was contemplating a divorce. What would happen to Sarada in the process?

"Sakura-san," she then heard Hinata say. Her skin felt cold as she slowly looked over at Naruto's wife. This was the girl Sakura played matchmaker with. This was the girl, she convinced herself, was more deserving of Naruto than herself. If it were not for Sakura, the couple would have not even existed. If it weren't for her push, she didn't think a simple minded guy like Naruto would have even noticed Hinata's feelings. Sakura smiled not wanting to come off as odd and waved at the other woman.

"Sakura-san, it's nice running into you," Hinata greeted in an overly friendly manner.

"Yeah, same here," Sakura lightly laughed.

"How are things? I know we don't talk often…and I wanted to change that," Hinata tried to explain.

"Oh, it's um…it's alright," Sakura told her, however Hinata frowned when she saw how uncomfortable Sakura appeared. The pink haired girl noticed this so she quickly added, "Sasuke is rarely home, but at least I have Sarada-chan to keep me company."

"That's so sad," Hinata commented.

Sakura returned to grabbing her vegetables for her curry, when she heard Hinata continue, "Naruto-kun and I do think it's sad that you and Sarada-chan spend so many nights alone, so we think you should have dinner with us. Sarada-chan could also play with my children."

"You are Naruto _talk_ about me?" Sakura asked in disbelief.

"All the time," Hinata said with a smile.

'_Naruto you idiot…'_ Sakura thought as she pictured him giggling over this awkward situation.

"Are you free?" Hinata asked.

"Um, sure," Sakura answered. "I just have to let Sarada-chan know to dress nicely tonight."

Hinata nodded happily and took hold of Sakura's hands. "I'm happy you'll be able to visit though. Naruto-kun often expresses how much he misses you and Sasuke-kun. All I want is to make him happy."

Sakura stared at Hinata as she realized the girl really didn't know about the true state of her marriage. There weren't any words she could say. So she simply nodded and accepted Hinata's invitation. Sakura couldn't deny that she had a bad feeling about this. She didn't know which was worse, seeing Naruto or knowing that her own marriage was unraveling before her. Her heart also sank for Hinata, because she was clueless about how the hokage truly felt about his marriage.

"Sakura-san," Hinata spoke up, snatching the pink haired girl's attention once more to her. Hinata was frowning this time. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah," Sakura laughed as she dismissively waved her hand toward the other woman. "Why wouldn't I?"

Hinata wrinkled her brows and quietly said, "Just a moment ago…you looked very troubled."

"I just have a lot on my mind," she replied and slipped another tomato into her basket. "Well, I should be going Hinata. I'll see you tonight, right?"

Hinata nodded happily.

Sakura turned and started walking away when Hinata suddenly said, "Sakura-san, I have one more question to ask." The pink haired kunoichi's heart skipped a beat as her eyes widened. Had she figured it out? Slowly she looked back at the dark haired girl. "Yes?" she answered.

"How does Sarada-chan feel about Boruto?"

Sakura found herself forcing another smile. There was no way she could tell Hinata the truth about Sarada's disinterest in the blonde boy. "Sarada is going through an interesting time in her life. Who's to say if she even understands what she's going through," Sakura replied.

Hinata shyly smiled as she gathered the courage to continue with her original thought. "Do you remember what you suggested after we found out I was having a boy and you were having a girl?"

Sakura paused a moment as she tried to think back to their pregnancies. It was so long ago.

"You had suggested how cool it would be if our children ever got married," Hinata continued, however she was embarrassed. The fact Hinata didn't feel comfortable saying what she needed to say, made Sakura feel uneasy. "I think Boruto is developing feelings for Sarada-chan."

"Wait, Bolt likes my daughter?" Sakura questioned in disbelief.

"She's all he talks about," Hinata answered.

"Well, she _technically_ talks about him too," Sakura said, purposely omitting the fact that everything Sarada says about Bolt…is often negative. "Just, for Bolt's sake, remind him that women can be complicated sometimes. Love is in general. You never know when Cupid's arrow will hit. However, I think Ino is hoping that Inojin will fall for her as well." Sakura had meant for the Ino part to be a joke, which is why she was surprised when Hinata closed her eyes and smiled as she commented.

"I think it's safe to say that Naruto-kun's and my nindo passed down into our child. He will never give up."

* * *

A/N: So, it's been a long time since I've updated, and I apologize. Life hit really hard, but I have wifi now. Luckily I've written about ten more chapters for this story, so I'll be steadily releasing them as I attempt to catch up on my ChoHina story. Anywho, please review! Thank you! xoxo


	4. Nightly Visits

**CHAPTER FOUR**

**NIGHTLY VISITS **

Sakura and Sarada stood outside of the hokage's mansion. Both wore formal dresses, with accessories to match. Sarada wore a pink bow in her hair and a necklace with the Uchiha crest. Sakura on the other hand, put more effort into how she looked. Her red dress was form fitting and fell just above her knees. She wore a pair of black strappy heels to match the choker she wore around her neck. Sakura neatly pinned bangs to the side, and straightened her hair so it fell behind her shoulders. The final touch was her makeup. With all the effort she put into her appearance, it was almost as though she was going on a date.

When the door opened, the two were greeted by an elderly woman. Sakura could only assume she was Naruto's maid. "Greetings Mrs. Uchiha," the woman said before letting the two inside. Sakura and Sarada followed the maid to the living room where the Uzumaki family was waiting for them.

"Sakura-chan, I'm glad you could make it," Naruto spoke up.

She fought against the urge to blush and instead nodded her head.

"Your dress is so pretty," Hinata added.

It was that moment that Sakura realized she was over-dressed. "Thank you," she replied with a light laugh.

They were escorted into the dining room. It was slightly overwhelming to see all of the food laid out before them. "Wow, your cook must be fantastic," Sakura voiced in awe.

"Thank you," Hinata said with a smile catching Sakura off guard.

"Wait, so it wasn't the older woman?" Sakura asked.

"No," Hinata replied with a small giggle. "She helps keep the house tidy and occasionally will look after the children when Naruto and my schedules won't allow us to be here."

It was odd, even though Sakura was dressed nicer than Hinata, with the mere mention of food she suddenly felt inferior. Cooking was something Sakura learned through-out her adulthood. She could make curry and a number of other dishes, but her tables were never as elaborate as Hinata's.

"It's very beautiful," Sakura stated, before she gestured for Sarada to take a seat.

After everyone was seated at the table, they began the meal. That was when the questions started.

"So why is Sasuke-kun always gone?" Hinata asked.

Sakura glanced over in Sarada's direction, before turning her gaze once more at the hokage's wife. "He likes to collect jutsus," she answered. "Konoha is too quiet for him, so tries to keep himself busy."

"That's why he's going to build his own village," Sarada spoke up.

"Sarada-chan," Sakura began in a scolding tone.

Naruto however found himself laughing. "Yup, that's Sasuke for ya."

"Sarada-chan. Your papa isn't trying to build his own village. He simply wants to restore his clan. You are one of the last Uchihas."

"Just like how dad's restoring the Uzumaki clan!" Bolt said loud and very proud.

"I don't see how you do it, Sakura-san. I would be very upset if Naruto-kun were always gone," Hinata spoke up, snatching Sakura's attention once more. "Do you worry about him?"

"In the beginning I did," Sakura answered, "But as the years went by, it was nothing out of the ordinary. No matter how many times he leaves, he always comes back. Almost like a cat."

"Of course he comes back," Naruto said with a smile. "He has you to come back to."

Sakura heavily blushed from how sudden the comment was, but she quickly transformed her bashfulness into her standard "matter-of-fact" expression. "Because he knows if he doesn't come home, I'll be forced to go out and drag him back."

"Kicking and screaming," Bolt laughed, earning a stern, but scary look for Sakura. Instantly he wiped he smile from his face and returned to eating.

"Do you think Sasuke-kun will be back in time for the Infinity ball?" Hinata asked.

"Who knows," Sakura answered with a smile.

Sarada glanced at her mother, unsure of why she was answering so passively. The young girl then fixed her attention on Hinata and said, "Of course he's going to be here! He knows how important the ball is to my mom. She's already bought her dress and it's one of the prettiest dresses I've ever seen!"

"Sarada-chan," Sakura quietly said, hoping to gain control of the young girl once more.

"My papa told me that my mom's heart was his treasure!" Sarada shouted. "So don't you dare imply he would break it!"

"Sarada-chan!" Sakura snapped before grabbing her daughter by the arm, and stood from her seat. "I need to talk to you, but first apologize for yelling at Hinata."

Sarada looked as though she wanted to protest, but the expression pinned Sakura's face made her think otherwise. The young ravenette looked at Hinata and bowed her head. "I'm…_sorry_ for being rude." With a swift yank, Sakura ushered her daughter out of the room.

Once they were in the hall, Sakura released the young Uchiha. "What the hell was that?!" she snapped.

"I should ask you the same thing," Sarada huffed.

"Hinata was only asking a question," Sakura stated, "And you had to get defensive as though you didn't know better. I've raised you better than this!"

"Mom, she _kept_ asking questions about papa. Why does she even care?!"

"Because she's concerned about us, Sarada-chan," Sakura voiced. "And if I catch you being rude like that ever again, you will be grounded."

The two walked back into the dining room and took their seats once more.

"I'm sorry if I upset you, Sarada-chan," Hinata said. "I must have worded my questions wrong."

"I was still out of line," Sarada answered.

"So, let's start over, Sarada-chan. I wouldn't want tonight to keep us from getting along." Hinata voiced with a smile.

"Ok," Sarada said nonchalantly and returned to eating her food.

Himawari slid forward onto the edge of her seat and smiled brightly toward Sarada. The Uchiha peered over the top of her glasses toward the younger child and asked a single word. "What?"

"Do you want to play after dinner?" Himawari asked. "I have a lot of dolls, but no one to play with."

"Bolt doesn't play with you?" Sarada asked.

"Dolls are for girls!" Bolt exclaimed in disgust.

"Says who?" Sarada asked while raising a brow.

"Everyone!" he argued.

"Boruto," Naruto began in a warning tone. "We're at the dinner table. If you keep this up, you'll make your mom cry."

Bolt shut his mouth and looked down at his food before mumbling, "Sorry, mom."

"Himawari-chan, Sarada-chan would be happy to play with you after dinner," Sakura voiced, causing the little girl to smile broadly with excitement.

"And Boruto will play too," Hinata added.

After dinner, the children headed off to Himawari's room, and Hinata, with the maid's help, starting cleaning up dining room. Sakura found herself exploring the home. She had entered the home on a number of occasions, and yet with the redecorating, it was though she was laying eyes on the space for the first time.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto said from behind, causing the girl to whip around. She gave him a one handed push before saying with a huff. "Don't sneak up on me like that."

"So are you and Sarada-chan spending the night?" he asked.

Her eyes widened in disbelief before she quickly whispered, "Are you serious?"

"Yeah," he answered with a laugh. "That way I could see Sakura-chan just a little more."

"Idiot," she huffed.

Naruto stepped forward and kissed her. Even though her body wanted to continue, she stepped back. "Until you end things with Hinata…I refuse to disrespect her in her own house."

Naruto frowned. It wasn't because he wasn't getting his way, but more so out of guilt. Hinata was the type of girl neither of them wanted to hurt. Perhaps now he was seeing how complicated their situation had become. More importantly, Sakura worried about Hinata ending up alone.

Up in Himawari's room, Sarada stared at the doll she had selected to play with. She had long, curly teal hair, pulled up in two pigtails.

"We're playing ninjas, right?" Bolt asked.

"No. Instead we're going to play superstars," Himawari told him. "Sarada and I will be the singing girls, and you can be uh…our boss."

"I think you mean _manager_," he corrected, however he couldn't shake his confusion. "Why don't you want to play ninjas? I mean, you could be the Mizukage and I could be the Hokage!"

Himawari fell silent. Tears formed in her blue eyes. "Maybe…I don't want to be a ninja," she whispered.

Sarada shot a glare over in her direction. "How could you say something so _stupid,"_ she asked.

"Hey, you don't have to be mean!" Bolt snapped.

"I'm not being mean, I'm being honest!" Sarada argued. "She's the daughter of the seventh hokage, as well as one of the elite Hyuga and she doesn't want to be a ninja?! There are so many villagers who would give anything to be like us! She's ungrateful!"

Himawari started crying into her hands. Seeing this, Bolt stood to his feet and pointed at the young Uchiha. "Take that back!"

Sarada set the doll down and stood up. She adjusted her glasses and looked back at him. "You know it's true," she calmly stated "If people knew that the Hokage's daughter said she didn't want to be a ninja, what do you think they would say?"

"Did you ever think that maybe she has a reasons?!" Bolt shouted.

"And what the hell could justify turning your back on your calling?! People who throw away their full potential are scum!" she shouted even louder, causing Himawari to cry even more.

Bolt threw a punch at Sarada, however the dark haired girl grabbed his fist. "Try to hit me again, and I'm make you cry worst than Himawari-chan."

"I want to see you try," he growled.

The door opened and Hinata gasped at the sight. Bolt withdrew his hand and Sarada held her hands behind her back. Himawari continued to cry. "Both of you…in the corner," she commanded.

After five minutes of having their noses pressed to separate corners in the room, Sakura and Naruto finally arrived. "What happened?" the blonde hokage asked when he saw Hinata hugging Himawari while petting her hair. Sakura then noticed Sarada.

"Sarada-chan and Boruto-kun were fighting," Hinata quietly said as she continued to comfort Himawari. "I'm not sure what they did, but it upset Hima-chan."

Sakura bowed her head and said, "I'm so sorry, Hinata." Then she walked over to the corner her daughter had been assigned to, and grabbed her by her arm. She pulled Sarada out of the room. The dark haired girl stumbled over her feet on the way out. Sakura didn't release her until they were outside.

"Why were you being disrespectful?" Sakura asked once they started walking home.

"Because papa told me that people who throw away their potential don't deserve respect," Sarada huffed.

"Himawari is your friend," Sakura stated; however, it was clear that her patience was running thin.

"I could _never_ be friends with someone as _weak_ as her," Sarada huffed.

Sakura slapped her. The young girl's eyes widened and she held the side of her face.

"Don't you _ever_ say that about your comrade again!" Sakura snapped. "She's much younger than you and has time to grow up."

Sarada looked down at her feet while holding the side of her face. She wouldn't admit it, but tears were forming in her eyes. Sakura stooped down so she could be at eye level with her daughter. "Sarada-chan, I say this because having friends is a powerfully important thing. Yes, it's one thing to be strong, but no one can do everything alone. It's our comrades; our teammates; our friends…every person we've ever formed a bond with that give us the strength to live up our full potential. To throw away bonds…is the same as not living to your full potential as well."

"Do you like me, mama?" Sarada whimpered.

"Of course I like you. I love you," Sakura told her as she pulled her into a hug. "You're the most important part of my life. Nothing will ever make me stop loving you."

"I love you too, mama," Sarada said as she hugged her mother as tightly as she could.

"Honey, tomorrow you'll have to apologize to Himawari," Sakura instructed.

Sarada was quiet for a moment before quietly answering, "Ok."

Back at home, Sakura sat on her couch, listening to the ticking of her clock as she recounted the events at Naruto's house. She laid her head back so that her face was toward the ceiling; however, she closed her eyes. She didn't know why Sarada was rebelling as much as she was. Did she miss Sasuke that much? The woman glanced over toward the steps that led to her daughter's bedroom. By now the girl was changed out of her dress and tucked into bed. Sakura was still in her evening attire. Her shoes were neatly placed beside the corner of the couch. Eventually she would have to go to bed as well. "Naruto," she whispered with a heavy sigh. "Why does everything have to be so complicated?"

There was a knock suddenly at her front door causing her jump slightly. The more she heard the knocking, the more she heard the sound of desperation. "Hold on," she called out as she pushed herself to her feet. She hurried her steps to the front door, unlocked it, and pulled the door open. To her surprise she saw a red haired woman with spikey hair. Upon closer inspection, she recognized her. "…Karin?" Sakura questioned.

"Can we please come in?" Karin asked. She gestured to a young boy about the same size as Sarada. His hair was black albeit for his dark red bangs. His eyes were black as coal, the same as Sasuke's. Without asking, she knew the boy was related to an Uchiha. She didn't want to suspect her husband had been unfaithful, but the signs pointed to it.

Sakura stepped aside so the two could enter the home. Once they were inside, Sakura led them into the kitchen, then started preparing two cups of tea. "How old is he?" Sakura asked with her back to the two, while pouring the tea leaves into the tiny steel basket.

"Thirteen," Karin told her.

"He's a year older than my daughter," Sakura commented.

"Her name's Sarada, right?" Karin asked.

"Yes. That's correct." The pink haired ninja turned around and set the tea cups in front of the two. The little boy very much resembled Sasuke. She found herself stealing glances in his direction.

"Thank you," he told her with a bow of his head.

"You're welcome," she said before quickly adding, "I'm Sakura."

"I'm Shimeji," the young boy said.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Shimeji-kun," Sakura smiled.

"Sakura, Shimeji-kun and I have traveled a long way to find you and this village," Karin spoke up, grabbing the pink haired kunoichi's attention. "The things I need to tell you, I can't say in front of my son."

Shimeji immediately snapped his head over in his mother's direction and protested, "I'm not a baby, you can say it in front of me!"

"I'll show him to the guest room," Sakura spoke up, earning an annoyed huff from the boy.

After their tea was finished, Sakura led the two to the spare bedroom in the back of the home. Along the way Shimeji kept asking questions about the pictures and artwork they passed. Sakura knew their home was beautiful, but it was different hearing someone else comment on her belongings. She opened the door and Shimeji walked inside. "It's so clean," he said.

"Ah yeah," Sakura laughed, not about to go into detail about her own cleaning rituals.

"Thank you, Sakura," Karin said. "I have no right to ask anything from you, but I'm worried about Sasuke-kun."

"Sasuke-kun?" she questioned.

Karin instructed her son to get ready for bed before closing the door, so the two women could find somewhere private to talk. Once they were in the living room, Karin continued.

"As you already know, Sasuke-kun has become obsessed with collecting new jutsus."

Sakura nodded. "He has an entire office dedicated to analyzing the various scrolls he collects."

The Uzumaki hugged herself before heaving a heavy sigh. "Sasuke-kun is interested in forbidden jutsus. Jutsus that neither of us have even dreamed were possible, because he's determined to create his own. Although he's not shrouded in darkness, I can still see that lust of power in his eyes."

"Are you traveling with him?" Sakura asked.

Karin nodded. "Sometimes. Sasuke-kun told us that he still considered the members of Taka to be his comrades. Lately the missions have been too dangerous to take Shimeji, so it's often hard to find somewhere for him to take shelter."

"I see…" Sakura answered, however she found herself focusing on the finer details of the story. While traveling, Sasuke was spending time with his son.

"There's a small village that's not affiliated with any of the great ninja nations. They're dangerous and rumored to be immortal. The first time I heard about them, Taka and I had stopped at a restaurant to relax after traveling for two days. Sasuke-kun mentioned something called the "Scroll of the Dead". Of course, it caught someone's attention. A one eyed, old man peered over at us from a neighboring table, and told us he had ran into the keepers of the scroll. He warned us about jutsus with the power to steal souls. Suigetsu looked as though he about shit himself. Sasuke-kun on the other hand, stared him at with his usual cool gaze. He wanted to know more. With the little information he had gathered, Sasuke-kun was determined to find their underground village. For years we've searched…until finally, we found a clue. We came across ninjas with the ability to transform into _demons_. We defeated our opponents, but Sasuke-kun left the last alive to interrogate for information. When the bastard died, Sasuke-kun was able to get a map from him. We didn't expect for their deaths to trigger traps."

Karin lifted the sleeve of her coat to reveal a mark on her arm. It resembled a bird mixed with an upside down star. "I thought Orochimaru-sama was the only one with curse marks," she weakly chuckled.

"Where's Sasuke-kun now?" Sakura asked.

"Trying to find the rumored village hidden within Hell."

Sakura fell silent unsure of what to make of the situation. Karin grabbed her by her shoulders and pleaded, "Sakura, you're the only person I know who can save him. If Sasuke-kun keeps digging deeper, then he'll corrupt himself. Sakura, please…please save Sasuke-kun."

Sakura drew the red-haired woman into a hug. She held her. Part of Sakura felt odd, but another side only wanted to help Karin. "I can't save him…I never could," Sakura admitted causing Karin to look at her in disbelief. "But I know someone who can—Naruto. I can't explain the connection those two have, but if anyone can talk sense into him, it would be Naruto."

"Then we have to go see him!" Karin exclaimed.

"It's late. I'm sure everyone's in bed, but we can definitely go first thing in the morning." Sakura offered Karin a smile, which the other woman soon returned. Then Sakura stood to her feet and ushered Karin once more to the guest room. Once Karin stepped inside of the bedroom, Sakura walked to the room she shared with Sasuke.

She didn't know what to think of Sasuke. He was always so secretive. She wanted to know more about the jutsus he was looking for. She wanted to know if he preferred traveling with Karin than being home with his own family. More importantly, she wanted to know when her marriage died.

* * *

A/N: And extra drama. Thank you for reading this chapter! More to come! Please Review!


	5. Uchiha

**CHAPTER FIVE**

**UCHIHA**

The next morning, Sakura escorted Karin to the Hokage's headquarters while leaving the children at home. Sakura knocked on the door leading to Naruto's office. The door cracked open to reveal Shikamaru. "Sakura," he said, but wrinkled his brows when he saw Karin.

"She needs to talk to the Seventh," Sakura said. It felt strange to call Naruto that. Even after all of these years, she didn't think she could get use to it. "It's important," she made sure to add. Shikamaru stepped aside so the two women could enter.

"Naruto—I mean, Hokage-sama, what I have to say is about Sasuke-kun," Karin began. She was clearly nervous, but desperate. Sakura felt guilty watching the other girl and display of desperate passion for Sasuke. It reminded her of a younger version of herself. She couldn't count the tears she had shed for the Uchiha. Her eyes returned to Naruto as he listened to all Karin had to say. The story was roughly the same as what she said to Sakura the night before. Well, until the redheaded Uzumaki added.

"This village is rumored to have beasts more powerful than the bijus!"

Naruto, Shikamaru and Sakura widened their eyes.

"We don't know how much of the legend is true, but it's enough to catch Sasuke-kun's attention. Please Hokage-sama. I know you're the only person who can talk some sense into him. If Sasuke-kun continues to pursue that village, there's no telling what could happen!"

"Sakura, I'm sorry," Shikamaru whispered, starling the pink haired woman.

Sakura soon noticed why he made his comment. She was crying. However, these tears weren't out of fear for her husband's life, but the guilt of her unfaithfulness. She couldn't even bring herself to fault Sasuke for having a son with another woman after the things she had done with Naruto. Her green eyes slowly scanned over toward Naruto to see his concern.

"I'll be alright," she said.

Naruto looked at Karin and stated very calmly, "I'll send a request for him to return. In the meantime, don't tell anyone about this. None of the civilians need to panic, however I will call a meeting with the village council."

Karin nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Hokage-sama."

Sakura led Karin out of the room. Once the door closed behind them, the medical-nin spoke up. "You don't have to worry. Naruto will figure out something."

"I know he will," Karin replied, "There's something about Naruto…It's not hard to believe in him."

Sakura found herself smiling as she agreed with Karin. No matter how hopeless a situation looked, Naruto found a way. When it came to Hinata and Sasuke, Sakura had to believe that somehow everything would work itself out.

Naruto poked his head out of his office and said, "Sakura-chan, is it possible I could talk to you sometime today?"

She blinked a moment, unsure of what he needed to say, but answered, "Sure." As quickly as he appeared, he soon shut himself back in his office. Sakura started escorting Karin back to the Uchiha residence. There both Shimeji and Sarada were waiting for them on the front porch. Sarada had her arms crossed over her chest with her eyes closed, while Shimeji looked bored out of his mind.

"I thought you were going to wait inside?" Sakura said, causing her daughter to peek open an eye.

"There wasn't anything Shimeji considered fun," Sarada replied. "He wants to spar but I told him we would have to wait until you got back."

"And now that she's back, I guess we can see which one of us truly strongest," Shimeji smirked.

Sakura rose a brow then looked toward Karin before returning her gaze to the children. "Or you could wait until later. You guys have more important things to do than form enemies."

Sarada stood to her feet before pointing toward Shimeji. "He claims he's an Uchiha too! Mama, tell him that's impossible!"

Sakura lightly sighed before answering, "Sarada-chan, it's…complicated, but what he's saying is true. Shimeji-kun is your half-brother."

Sarada looked over at Shimeji, then her mother before storming inside of their home.

"Don't mind her," Sakura told Shimeji, "She'll come around. She just has to get use to him." Sakura moved inside of the home. Upon not seeing her daughter, she continued up the stairs until she was outside of Sarada's bedroom. "Sarada-chan," she called out through the door. When Sakura didn't hear a reply, she pushed open the door to see the ravenette laid out on her bed, hugging herself.

"Sarada-chan," Sakura cooed as she walked over to the bed and took a seat beside her daughter. She reached out her hand and pet her onyx colored locks. "I know this is a lot to take in."

"Why didn't Papa tell me I had a brother?" Sarada mumbled against her pillow.

"I wish I knew," Sakura replied.

"What if Papa likes Shimeji more than me?"

"I'm sure he loves you equally," Sakura assured her. "Your Papa's coming home soon, so I'm sure if you'll ask him, he'll say the same thing. Nothing in this world could keep him from loving you."

Sarada sat up, wiped the tears from her eyes, while bumping her red framed glasses in the process. "I will surpass Shimeji. I want Papa to know that even thought I'm not a boy, I'll one day be the strongest Uchiha. To do that, I'll have to surpass Shimeji."

"Or you guys could work as a team," Sakura suggested with a shrug of her shoulders. "Rivalries can make relationships very complicated. Well, unless your rivalry is to strengthen both of you. Both your papa and I had rivalries like that. Mine was with Aunt Ino, while your papa's was with the Hokage. In the end, we all became stronger because we had someone strong to push us. Sarada-chan, you're a very strong girl. I don't doubt for a second that you'll grow up to be stronger than both your papa and me combined."

Sakura and Sarada suddenly heard the front door open from downstairs.

Both girls headed out of the bedroom and down the staircase to inspect what was happening. There, standing in the doorway was Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun!" Karin exclaimed. Both Sarada and Shimeji took off running after the older Uchiha, however stopped when they caught sight of the other. A short glare was exchanged before the two preteens wrapped their arms around the wandering-nin.

Sakura stood by the stairs, stunned to see her husband. Her heart stated to rapidly beat in her chest as she mouth a single phrase. "Sasuke-kun…"

* * *

**A/N:** I just want to say thank you so very much for all of your support! I can't get over the shock of seeing how many people are reading my story. After Chapter 700, I was devastated. After everything I've heard about "The Last", I didn't know how I could continue with the fandom. To all of my fellow NS fans, please don't stop writing, drawing and loving the NaruSaku pairing. **Please review!** And if you have any stories, feel free to inbox me! I love reading new fics! P.S. I love writing for Sarada. More to come!


	6. A New Threat

**CHAPTER SIX**

**A NEW THREAT**

As promised, Naruto called a council with the leaders of the village. Sakura glanced about at the various faces in the room. There were several generations of nin, but all had contributed with the success of Konoha in the past. Sakura then looked toward Sasuke, who stood not far from her. Naruto sat in his chair not far from the two, wearing his kage robe, his hat was upon the table.

"As troublesome as it may sound, there's a village unaffiliated with any of the five nations. Sasuke has spent years tracking them and stumbled upon information that could be of great use to us," Shikamaru began, hoping to bring everyone up to speed. This will be the fifth time Sakura had heard the story. The first two were from Karin, the third from Sasuke in their home, the fourth in front of Shikamaru and Naruto, and now the council. Every time she heard the story however, more information was released.

"They are from a village called _Jigoku mura_" Sasuke began. "Because their village is located underground, the entire area is referred as Yomi-no-kuni."

It literally was the village hidden in Hell.

"What does this mean to us?" one of the council members asked. "Aren't the ninja of Jingoku a legend?"

This statement prompted similar responses. Sakura watched as the villagers went from concerned and nervous, to dismissive toward the entire threat. Naruto on the other hand, kept his eyes fixed on Sasuke.

"It's not a myth or a legend," Sasuke stated, causing the murmurs to quiet down. "I know because I managed to infiltrate the village. As proof I brought a gift." He reached into his cloak and removed a necklace with a silver circle pendent hanging from the base. Within the circle were lines that resembled a labyrinth. "The mark of Diyu."

"What does it do?" Shikamaru asked.

Sasuke was quiet for a moment before replying, "I don't know, but I'm determined to find out."

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura spoke up, catching her husband's attention. "Will they come to Konoha looking for you?"

"No," he replied in his usual serious tone. "No one out there would know my affiliation."

Sakura poked out her bottom lip unsure if she believed that. Sasuke had a very distinct look. He had the sharingan in one eye and the rinnegan in the other. He returned his gaze to the council as he continued. "This is a group of people who need to be stopped before they unleash their power onto the villages one by one."

"Besides senseless destruction, do you know what their goal is?" Ino spoke up.

"From what I gathered, they want to open a gateway," Sasuke answered. "I can only assume it's a power source. My information is limited. If you give me more time, I'll be able to find out their true motive."

"So you need a team?" Naruto asked.

"Precisely," Sasuke replied.

"Hokage-sama, what are you going to tell the villagers?" one of the elders asked.

"Nothing," Naruto answered. "Right now, until we can determine this village is a threat, there's no need to put everyone in a state of panic. But, we can limit the missions outside of Konoha and increase training. We should also bump up our defense."

Sakura wasn't sure if she agreed with Naruto's approach, but didn't question as she watched the council members return to whispering to one another.

"Eventually you'll need to alert our allies," Shikamaru whispered to Naruto, causing the Hokage to nod his head.

It wasn't much longer until the members of the council were dismissed, leaving only Sakura, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Naruto and Ino remaining. Naruto stood up from his seat and picked up his large red and white before placing it once more on his head. "Sakura-chan and Ino, thank you for staying. Seeing as you're head of the medical department, and you're in charge of interrogation, I think both of you will be needed for the next step in our plan."

"Plan?" Ino questioned, before glancing over at Shikamaru, then back to Naruto. "What are you talking about?"

Naruto looked at Sasuke and asked, "How many jutsus did you obtain from Jingoku?"

"Nine," Sasuke answered causing Sakura to gasp.

"Sasuke-kun, are you crazy?!" she immediately exclaimed.

"Did you want me to leave the jutsus with them?!" Sasuke snapped, causing the medical ninja to quiet down. His gaze darted once more to Naruto. "The jutsus they have are far more advanced than anything I've ever seen before."

Shikamaru furrowed his brows before asking, "Then why are they revealing themselves now? Why didn't they do something a few years ago? Why didn't they participate in any of the wars?"

"I don't know," Sasuke replied. It was as though those three words cut through his like a knife.

"I'll give you a team," Naruto casually said. "I'll have a couple of names on my desk by tomorrow."

"What about the jutsus? Shouldn't we hold them here?" Shikamaru suggested.

Naruto shook his head. "That's too obvious."

"You can't be suggesting that he needs to keep them at his house," Ino gasped.

"Is that a bad thing?" Naruto asked.

Sakura slammed her hands down on the table and shouted, "You can't be serious! We have children at our house and-."

"Children?" Shikamaru and Ino asked in unison.

"It's a long story," she groaned, before turning her attention back to Naruto. "What could possess you to think that's a good idea, Naruto!"

"The way I see it, if they managed to track Sasuke down to our village, they would assume that he was very smart. I mean, he was able to still their forbidden jutsus, right? By being smart, he would want to hide the jutsus in a place no one would find them. That would be either this office, my house, in the mountains or somewhere with security. The last place anyone would suspect is at his own house. It's too obvious for an Uchiha."

"Strangely enough…that…makes sense," Shikamaru sighed.

"Now that that's settled, Sasuke, I'll need you to report back to my office first thing in the morning," Naruto grinned as he leaned back in his chair.

"I hope you're right," Sasuke answered before exiting. Ino took her leave next, but stopped once she was beside Sakura to whisper, "If you and Sarada-chan want to stay at my house, just let me know."

After Ino, Shikamaru exited, leaving Sakura alone with Naruto.

"Why are you taking this chance?" Sakura asked. "Aren't you even a little concerned something might happen?"

"Nope," Naruto replied. "Because I trust you're strong. You and Sasuke are sannin. I'm more than confident you'll be able to hold your own."

"We know nothing about this village," Sakura argued.

"But Sasuke does," Naruto said as he walked over to her. "Sakura-chan, I'll have security stationed near your house. I just know the first place they'll strike is here." Her green eyes locked intensely onto him; however, her gaze softened when he kissed her forehead. His plan sounded foolish, and yet…she wanted to trust him.

"Idiot," she lightly whimpered before wrapping her arms tightly around him. "If your plan doesn't work, don't think for a second I won't come after you."

Naruto laughed, earning a dead serious expression for the woman. Immediately he smiled as he nervously replied, "Hear ya loud and clear."

"Good," she said before leaning up and kissing him on the cheek. She parted from the Hokage and walked out of his office. Down the hall she saw Sasuke waiting, with his back leaned against the wall. She didn't expect him to wait for her, and almost instantly she felt her insides wishing to tie themselves in tiny knots.

The Uchiha glanced over as she neared him.

"Sasuke-kun," she began, however stopped when he hugged her. Sakura was shocked, unsure of how to respond. He had hugged her in the past, but this time it felt different.

"I'm sorry you had to find out about Shimeji-kun the way you did. I meant to tell you earlier," Sasuke began.

He was apologizing. Sakura couldn't explain it, but whenever she heard the words "I'm sorry" from Sasuke, she felt a sea of emotion overtake her. She didn't want to. She wanted to call him an idiot and tell him she wasn't in love with him. She wanted to push him away. She wanted to reject him, and yet those two words made her powerless to him. "You better be," she whispered as she buried her face into his shoulder. Why did her heart always feel conflicted. She wanted Naruto…and yet a small piece of her continued to long for Sasuke. The little girl she was often ashamed of was cheering in the back of her mind.

"Sasuke," she began, being conscious not to use the "kun" suffix. "Sarada-chan has felt lonely without you. You should stay home more often."

She knew there was a threat she needed to focus on, but the pain she felt at home continued to push itself to the front of her mind. Sakura took a step back from Sasuke and stared at him. She stared at his visible eye due to the fact his long bangs covered the other. His eyes weren't as cold as they were in the past. She didn't know if he loved her, but through-out their marriage, just having him was enough. Not anymore. Sakura parted her lips to tell him that she felt a distance between them. She wanted to tell him she was falling out of love. She wanted to tell him her heart belonged to someone else.

He tapped her forehead and turned to walk down the hall, extending his hand for her to take. Hesitantly Sakura took hold of Sasuke's hand, enlacing her fingers with his before leaving the building to walk back to their home. On their way out, she glanced over her shoulder toward the Hokage's headquarters. She couldn't shake the feeling she was betraying Naruto once again.

* * *

**A/N:** So, here's another chapter! Had to add in some more of that angst and draaaaama. I'm going to start working on my ChoHina story again. No worries, I have up chapters 7, 8 and 9 saved on my computer to release over the next couple of days. Please review!


	7. Secrets

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

**SECRETS**

Three days have passed since Sasuke's been home. Housing Karin and Shimeji had made life interesting; however, they were also a reminder of Sasuke's unfaithfulness. She wasn't sure of the details of his and Karin's relationship, or if they were romantically involved. All she knew was that the Uchiha household had grown in size. Surprisingly Sakura didn't dislike the two. Karin made keeping the house clean a little easier, and Sarada had someone she was forced to socialize with. What Sakura didn't feel comfortable with was the process of sharing a bed with Sasuke. She no longer felt comfortable with his arms wrapped around her. His breath against her shoulder sent a chill up her spine. She wouldn't admit it. It was unnatural for a wife to feel this way about her husband. Just as it was unnatural for her heart to quickly beat whenever her eyes happened to meet with Naruto's, even if it were for only a few seconds glance.

_'Sasuke cheated too...so why am I the one feeling guilty?'_

The pink haired woman walked into her office at the hospital to discover a letter beside her old Team 7 framed photograph. She picked up the envelope and flipped it around to see there wasn't a name written on either side. Carefully she tore open the paper and pulled out the message. Immediately she recognized the handwriting as Naruto's.

_Sakura-Chan _

_I know I'm not the smoothest guy around, but do you want to meet me tonight at my office? I have a surprise for you. I know I've asked you a lot of times, but I hope this time you'll say yes? Haha. Let's shoot for midnight. It'll give both of us a chance to sneak away. See ya!_

She tore up the letter and tossed the pieces in the trash, then plopped down in her chair. How did he expect her to sneak out at midnight? Didn't he realize that Sasuke's sleep schedule was unpredictable?

"Knock, knock, knock," Ino announced as she opened the door to Sakura's office; in her hand, she held a bag of pastries. "What happened to you? You look like someone died."

Sakura glanced over at the girl and gestured for her to shut the door. When Ino did, the pink haired girl let out a large sigh. "I don't know what's wrong with me. With Sasuke being back, you'd think I would be happy."

"I don't know, I mean, you found out he had a baby with Karin," Ino voiced as she set the bag on the desk. "If I found out Sai had other children, do you know what I'd do? I'd kick his ass to kingdom come, that's what I'd do! Yeah, and while I'm at it, I'd probably go have a baby with someone else to see how he'd like it!"

"I thought you hated the pregnancy phase," Sakura spoke up.

"Well, yeah, but at that point it'd be more of a principle thing," Ino grinned before flicking her friend in the forehead. "Remember, I tell these jokes to cheer you up. The last thing anyone wants is to see you moping around looking depressed."

"It's about Naruto," Sakura quietly said, "He wants to still see me. I think he may be serious about leaving Hinata."

Ino blinked her eyes rapidly in disbelief before questioning, "Are you serious?"

When Sakura nodded, Ino whispered, "But what about Hinata?"

"I don't know," Sakura groaned. "Beforehand, I had my doubts. I thought this was going to be short-lived fling, but he seems serious. I don't know whether to call him stupid or bold, but he's making it obvious that he wants to be with me. I just…I don't know how it'll affect the children, our spouses, our reputations…it's just…I don't know."

"What happened to your backbone, Sakura?" Ino asked as she sat on the corner of her desk. "If you want something, go for it. You're smart. Is the situation fucked up? Yeah. I'm not going to lie to you and say it isn't. But what I think is more fucked up, is living a lie. That's the position I'm in. Unlike me, the guy I wish I had pursued, doesn't see me as anything more than a friend. On top of that, he's married to a crazy bitch—I'm sorry, I promised I wouldn't call her that, but his wife wouldn't hesitate to try and beat me senseless. Hinata wants Naruto's happiness. If anything, she might willingly give him up."

"But I set them up…" Sakura mumbled.

"Now that could be a problem," Ino sighed.

"I really do wonder what would have happened if I had hooked up with Naruto when we were kids. What would our life be like now?" Sakura lightly laughed as she pulled out one of the small pastries. "It's weird, but when I wake up in the morning, sometimes I wish it was his face I saw."

"Not Sasuke-kun's?" Ino questioned, "Don't take this the wrong way, but Sasuke-kun doesn't have a bad face."

"No, he doesn't, but…I don't know, it's just a strange thing I've been longing for recently," Sakura said with a tiny smile.

"Have you guys had sex?" Ino asked, causing Sakura to almost tumble out of her seat.

"Wait, what?!" she exclaimed.

Ino leaned closer with a sly expression pinned to her face. "Are you guys fucking?"

"We've done it once," Sakura quickly admitted, earning a high-pitched squeal out of Ino. Swiftly the pink haired woman slapped her hand over her friend's mouth. "Ino, quiet down. Like I've said, we only did it once. I didn't even expect it to go that far, it just happened."

"You are so lucky," Ino sighed. "Not about the Naruto part, but that you're actually _doing_ something. You know the last time I've had sex?"

"No."

"It's been too long," Ino voiced with an annoyed 'tsk'. However the girl leaned closer to Sakura and whispered, "But now I'm so curious, Sakura. I wonder if I flirted with Shika what he'd do. Would he think I was joking? Would he push me away? Or would he be totally into it, and say, _'save me from Temari'. _I mean, I guess she's attractive, but waaaaay too serious."

"Hinata's cute," Sakura mumbled. "She's docile, busty, loyal, polite…ugh, I'm going to look like a monster. She's going to cry. I just have this unsettling feeling that's what's going to happen, because that's what I would do. If I were head-over-heels in love with Sasuke and I found out he and Karin had a thing going on, I would…" Sakura stopped mid-sentence as her eyes widened.

"What?" Ino immediately asked.

Sakura's face went pale as if she had seen a ghost. "I slipped up," she admitted. "Sasuke must know something's different. I haven't said anything negative about Karin or Shimeji. Why didn't I realize it before?"

"Or maybe he thinks you're being mature?" Ino suggested with a shrug. "I mean, from what you told me, Karin showed up at your doorstep out of desperation. You're a kind girl, Sakura. It's not out-of-character for you to show hospitality to someone."

"I hope you're right," Sakura said, although she didn't sound too optimistic.

"Maybe with the Hinata situation, you could get her to fall in love with someone else?" Ino suggested, trying to change the subject back to one of their earlier topics.

"It wouldn't work," Sakura said. "Hinata's had a crush on Naruto since we were like…five?"

"So?" Ino replied with a smile. "There's something the two of you have in common. Both of your husbands are rarely home because they're off banging other women. So like you moved on, there's a chance her eyes have wandered too."

Even though Sakura was highly annoyed by Ino's statement, she had to admit that the other girl had a point. "So…what should I do?" Sakura asked.

"Nothing," Ino laughed. "Leave that to me. Just consider me the goddess of love and beauty and leave the matchmaker game to me."

Once again, Sakura didn't feel too optimistic, but knowing Ino supported her made a few of her regrets disappear.

That night, after dinner, Sakura put Sarada to bed, and went to her own bedroom. Sasuke was nowhere to be seen. Sakura could only assume he was in his office working on decoding the jutsus he had stolen. She slipped off to his office and peered in through the door to see Karin talking to Sasuke.

"Do you actually plan on using these?" Karin questioned, however Sasuke ignored her and continued to study the scrolls. "Sasuke-kun, we don't even know what the consequence is. With forbidden jutsus of this caliber, I can assure you there's some kind of equivalent exchange!"

"Keep your voice down," Sasuke commanded.

"Sasuke-kun, I'm worried about you!" she whispered, then added, "We all are. Isn't that right, Sakura?" Karin glanced over her shoulder to see the pink haired kunoichi standing in the doorway. Sakura was sure the sensory-nin had detected her the moment she first started eavesdropping.

"You found one you're interested in, haven't you?" Sakura asked.

"Yes…" he answered after a moment. He glanced back toward the two women and flashed a tiny smile. "I finally found a way to save my clan."

"But Sasuke, you can't forget that Obito, Itachi and Madara are dead. How can you resurrect your clan without them?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke cocked his head to the side and flashed her his trademark grin. "Sakura, I'm talking about saving my clan on a much wider scale. These ninjas have forbidden time jutsus."

"Wait, time jutsus?" Karin asked, just as confused as Sakura was.

"I'm not sure how they figured it out, but according to this scroll, the caster can rewrite an event in time. I simply would stop the massacre," Sasuke explained.

"But that…that would drastically change everything," Sakura said, remembering that the person Sasuke became was because of the pain he had experienced throughout his life. Without the massacre, how much of life would even remain the same.

"How many rewrites are you allowed to have?" Karin asked. "Because then you could save my clan too!"

"I'm not sure," Sasuke said as he returned his gaze once more to the scroll. "But if we had the power of the Uchiha Clan, think of all that could be accomplished. Think of everything that would have been prevented."

Although what Sasuke said sounded insane, Sakura was curious. He found a jutsu that could rewrite time; it was the very thing she asked for. However Sakura wasn't sure if would dare use such a powerful jutsu all in the name of changing the identity of her husband. She was very curious. She caught sight of the clock and saw it was almost midnight. "Sasuke, this is a lot to take in…I mean, so many things are going to change…I just need some fresh air. I'll be back in a bit. I just need to think all of this over." She walked over and kissed the side of his ear.

"How long will you be gone?" he asked.

"Not long," she lied before taking a step back. Karin's eyes followed her the entire time until she was outside of the room.

Sakura was surprised Sasuke didn't stop her, but she made sure to take her purse so she could ride the monorail to the other side of the village (that was as large as a city). During her ride to the headquarters, she couldn't help but think more about that jutsu. What if Sasuke was able to prevent the Uchiha Massacre? What would be the result? Sakura felt as though that event had affected everyone. Indirectly, the things that happened to Sasuke, helped to push both her and Naruto to become stronger.

Sakura stepped off the train, and walked toward the Hokage's headquarters. The door was left unlocked to the building, and Sakura entered with ease. Quietly she moved up the stairs, as she continued to Naruto's office. She stopped when she saw his office door cracked open. Curiously, she stepped inside to see candles lit on the floor, with two bowls of ramen present. Naruto was sitting in front of one of the bowls.

She sat down in front of her bowl. It would be a lie to say she wasn't nervous. Sasuke was going to find out. She knew her husband had a temper, and yet Naruto's smile…eased her rapidly beating heart.

Naruto started eating, but Sakura remained quiet and mentally torn. She was so sure before, but now she didn't know. She couldn't piece together her feelings in a way that made sense. "Naruto," she spoke up, causing him to stop eating. "How long do you expect us to keep this up? Someone is going to find out. Have you talked to Hinata?"

Naruto sighed and frowned. "I tried," he said, "I really did…but I hate to see her cry. I can't explain it, but when she cries…I sort of feel like it's my job to make everything right."

Sakura stared down at her ramen, refusing to give Naruto any eye contact.

"Sakura-chan, you don't know how long I've waited to be with you like this…" Naruto continued. "You were always my better half."

"What are you talking about? I still am," she forced herself to laugh. She looked up at Naruto, as tears spilled out of her green eyes. The blonde moved closer to Sakura, so he could wrap his arms around her. The moment they made contact, she buried her face into his shoulder and sobbed.

"Naruto, I feel selfish," she cried.

"Sakura-chan, you're not selfish."

Sakura moved her face so she could look him in the eye. "Sasuke has a jutsu with the power to rewrite an event in the past. You don't know how badly I want to take it so I could be with you. I don't care about the consequences; I just want to be with you."

Naruto fell silent. It was clear from the look in his eye that he was deep in thought.

"Naruto?" she spoke up, hoping it would say something.

"It can change any event?" he asked.

When she nodded, he smiled.

"Then we could make it so my parents never died," Naruto laughed.

"But what about us?" she asked.

He leaned in and kissed the corner of her lips, then whispered, "No matter what happens, I think I would always love Sakura-chan. You should eat before your ramen gets too cold."

She had to admit, he was more mature than he was as a teenager. That Naruto would have been too embarrassed to kiss her. That Naruto would have backed off leaving her to be with Sasuke. There was something exciting about _this_ Naruto. This Naruto was actively pursuing her. This Naruto made her feel desired.

'_This is still Hinata's Naruto…'_

Sakura immediately pushed that thought to the back of her mind as she moved so their lips could meet. She could feel a rush as their kisses deepened, as his tongue stroked against hers. She felt his hand slide to her thigh before he pushed her down on the ground. A smirk crossed her lips as applied her strength to roll the both of them over, so she was sitting atop of him.

Naruto didn't say anything, he just stared up at her. It was as though he was looking at a piece of artwork. It was a longing gaze Sakura couldn't remember Sasuke offering her. She felt embarrassed and yet beautiful at the same time.

"Don't look at me like that," she told him while poking his cheek.

"Can't help it," he said.

Naruto reached up and stroked her side, before allowing his hand to slide back to her rear. It was after he firmly squeezed her that Sakura leaned down and hovered her lips above his.

"So, do I look more womanly?" she whispered, allowing her breath to tickle his lips.

"You haven't changed a bit," he said with a light laugh.

Sakura's eye twitched.

"But that's what I like about Sakura-chan," he finished.

* * *

A/N: I decided to go ahead and release another one. YAY!


	8. Eyeless-Nin

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

**Eyeless-Nin**

After school, Sarada strolled over to the park, however stopped when she saw Bolt talking to her half-brother Shimeji. She didn't say anything, but continued to watch curiously. Hoping not to be detected she slipped behind the nearest tree. The ravenette couldn't hear anything, but already the two boys were displaying their annoying superiority complex. She figured Shimeji thought Bolt's need to pull pranks and behave obnoxiously was annoying, just as Bolt probably thought that Shimeji needed to fall off of his high horse.

"He doesn't even go to school," Sarada mumbled to herself as she thought about to Shimeji's tales of living as a wanderer. He didn't have a village he called home. According to her mama, this was the longest Shimeji would have to stay in one location.

"TAKE IT BACK!" Bolt shouted causing her eyes to widen.

Shimeji smirked and took a step back. When he mouthed a kiss to the blonde, Bolt immediately lost the last bit of his composure. He charged at her half-brother with a first ready to strike. In one swift move, Shimeji pivoted on his heel, struck Bolt with his arm and pinned him to the ground, while straddled above him.

"Cut it out," Sarada said as she walked over to the two and carefully adjusted her glasses. "You're causing a scene."

"Not until he takes it back," Bolt growled, causing Shimeji to grab him by the top of his hair.

"Like I said before, _make me,_" Shimeji smirked.

"You two realize that you're both Uzuamkis right?" Sarada asked.

"I'm more Uchiha than Uzumaki," Shimeji stated as though it were a matter-of-fact.

"And I'm part Hyuuga," Bolt argued as he struggled beneath the other boy's grip.

"The point is, you're both…related in some kind of way, so you should stop being stupid," she smirked. Shimeji stood to his feet and held out a hand for Bolt, who slapped it away.

"He still needs to take it back," Bolt grumbled.

Sarada wrinkled her brows and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Don't mind him, he's only heartbroken," Shimeji scoffed.

Sarada felt even more confused (which was an emotion she rarely admitted to feeling). Before she could ask for him to explain himself, Bolt spoke up. "Shime-whoever says you're his future wife."

"Wait, what?" she questioned before snapping her gaze over at Shimeji.

"Sarada-chan, how else do you think we're supposed to rebuild the Uchiha clan?" he asked. "Even if you'll never have the sharingan, by marrying me you can guarantee you children will."

She slapped him as hard as she could, causing Bolt's eyes to widen. Sarada's brows narrowed as she lowly stated, "Don't you ever act as though I'm lower than you."

"You know it's true," he said as he held his face. "Uchihas inherited powerful eyes, our father has the rinnegan, but you have glasses. Doesn't that bother you?"

"SHUT UP!"

Sarada was shocked to see Bolt standing up for her. The blonde had grabbed Shimeji by the collar of his shirt and pulled him close so their noses were inches from another. "Who cares if she doesn't have the sharingan. Sarada is smart and one of the the strongest ninjas in our class. I'm sure she'll be able to rebuild her clan without having to settle for a piece of shit like you!"

"You have till the count of three to let go of me," Shimeji announced.

"Apologize to Sarada!" Bolt commanded.

"Two," Shimeji counted.

"Not until you apologize!"

"Three," Shimeji said before forcing a kiss on the other boy. As a reflex, Bolt immediately let go and doubled over while gagging. Shimeji laughed out of amusement before glancing over at Sarada's whose face was completely red. Without saying a word, she grabbed Shimeji by his arm and dragged him off.

Once they were closer to the Uchiha residence, he pulled his arm out of her grip.

"What was that?" she asked.

"I'm surprised you're not saying thank you," he huffed.

"Are you serious?!" she snapped.

Shimeji peered his eyes over in her direction, as a sly grin presented itself. "I saw the way you were looking. You liked watching that kind of thing, didn't you?"

Sarada stared down at her feet and said under her breath, "I never saw anything like that before."

"Then you're welcome," he laughed.

"You do realize that gossip is the only thing anyone in Konoha does, right?" she stated while adjusting her glasses. "Literally, no one has anything better to do, and now everyone is going to know that our papa raised a son who likes to kiss other boys."

"I'm pretty sure dad wouldn't care if he knew the circumstances," Shimeji replied with a shrug.

Suddenly they heard the sound of yelling, causing both kids to look over. There in the distance they saw a kid running while holding a large basket. Behind him was a trail of fruit. When the little boy was closer, Sarada slid over so she was standing directly in front of him.

"What happened?" she asked.

"Ninjas," the kid gasped, clearly out of breath. He dropped the empty basket and doubled over, trying to force himself to breathe.

"Could you be, I don't know, a little more _specific_?" Shimeji asked, causing Sarada to elbow him swiftly in the side. "Ow," escaped his lips, but the girl didn't acknowledge his pain.

"They were wearing all black…and didn't have eyes," the kid gasped, alarming both Uchihas.  
"Are you sure?" Sarada immediately asked, hoping she heard wrong.

When the child nodded, Shimeji leaned over and whispered, "Sarada-chan, if he's talking about who I think he's talking about, then this is _very_ bad."

"How bad?" she whispered.

"Might-need-to-let-dad-know-immediately _bad._"

"Kid," Sarada said when she looked back at the child. "Make sure you find an adult, and let them know exactly where you saw these ninjas."

Without another word both Sarada and Shimeji took off running to their home. Once they were inside, Sarada yelled, "MAMA, PAPA!"

Karin sat up from the couch with a remote in her hand. "I haven't seen either Sakura or Sasuke-kun today," she admitted. "What's up?"

"The Eyeless Ninjas are nearby," Shimeji explained, causing Karin's eyes to widen. The boy continued, "A little kid ran into the village, screaming like he'd seen a ghost. Mom, if they're here, chances are they're after you or dad."

"Wait, what?" Sarada asked.

Karin looked as though she felt torn about whether or not she should tell the girl, however Sarada kept her determined expression. The red head sighed in defeat and tugged down the collar of her shirt to show the reapers mark above her heart. "The Eyeless Ninjas are part of this underground village. They specialize in forbidden jutsus. Your daddy stole a lot of their jutsus and their necklace. Chances are they're pissed and want to take it back."

Sarada stared at the girl in disbelief of how nonchalant Karin seemed. The Uzumaki stood up from couch and ruffled her son's hair before whispering, "I suggest you guys find a place to hide. I'll try to get in contact with Sasuke-kun."

"No, I'm going to help!" Sarada announced.

Shimeji grabbed her hand and tugged her off toward the basement, despite her protests.

Naruto sat at Ichiraku Ramen, his daughter, Himawari sat on the stool neighboring his. "Hi," Sakura spoke up as she walked over to the stand. "Is this seat taken?" she asked as she gestured to the stool beside the blonde. When Naruto shook his head, she sat down and picked up one of the menus.

"Hello," Himawari said with a cheerful smile.

"And how are you, Himawari-chan?" Sakura asked.

"I'm having a happy day," Himawari giggled, "Today is Ramen Day!"

"I'm pretty sure you dad considers everyday Ramen Day," Sakura laughed.

Sakura placed her order and placed her elbow on the table, so she could prop up her chin with her hand. She smiled gently toward Himawari, but couldn't help that her gaze kept drifting to Naruto.

"I'm surprised you're not in the office, Hokage-sama," Sakura teased.

"Naruto!" Shikamaru exclaimed, startling everyone at the stand. "We need you back at the office, ASAP."

Naruto looked over toward Himawari, then back to Shikamaru. "But what about my daughter?" he asked.

"I'll take her home," Sakura announced. "You guys go ahead."

Naruto called out, "Pops, put the meals on my tab," before looking over at Himawari. "I promise I'll make it up to you."

Without another word, Naruto and Shikamaru darted off, leaving Sakura with the little girl.

"What happened?" Himawari asked.

"I'm guessing your daddy was missing out on an important meeting," she told the child before gently petting her hair. This brought a frown to Himawari's lips before she looked back at her bowl of ramen.

"Daddy always has meetings," she said quietly.

"Hey," Sakura said as she stooped down to look the girl in the eye. "Like I told you, for your daddy, every day is Ramen Day. He promised he'd make it up to you."

Himawari's spirits didn't rise any.

"Himawari-chan, if your daddy makes a promise, then that means he won't take it back. He never goes back on his word, so you have nothing to worry about. Mkay?"

"Thank you, Aunt Sakura," Himawari said and wrapped her arms around the pink haired ninja.

"Are you ready to go back to your mommy?" Sakura asked.

When the little girl nodded, she helped her down to the floor, and took hold of her hand. The two walked away from the stand, however Sakura noticed dark clouds beginning to blanket the once beautifully clear sky. Something about the storm clouds gave her an unsettling feeling.

"Do you want a piggy-back ride, Himawari-chan?" Sakura asked with a forced smile.

The little climbed on her back and Sakura started darting her way to the Hokage's mansion, making sure not to let go. She noticed villagers poking their heads out of their shops and homes to look at the clouds. She zipped even faster and landed right at the front door. While making sure not to drop Himawari, she frantically rang the doorbell.

Hinata opened the door, causing a sigh of relief to leave Sakura's lips.

"Naruto was called away to a meeting and he wanted to me to bring Himawari-chan home," she explained. Sakura stooped down so Himawari could climb off her back. Once the child was safely back to he mother, Sakua stood once more to her feet.

"Thank you, Sakura-san," Hinata said. "I don't know what I would do without you."

"Oh it's nothing," Sakura answered, however she looked once more at the clouds. She wasn't sure if her eyes were playing tricks on her, but she could have sworn she saw a face. "Are you going to be safe alone, Hinata?"

"Alone…" Hinata repeated quietly, before returning her gaze to Sakura. "I'm not alone. I have my children, and I can protect them. If I need help, then I know without a doubt that Naruto-kun will protect us."

Sakura wanted to press the option of hinata taking her children to the Hyuuga compound, but held her tongue. She knew her place. She nodded her head and left the home. The moment she was in the heart of the city, she heard the village's siren go off. Everyone started scattering, trying to get back to their homes, while ninjas were trying to figure out what was going on.

"Sasuke-kun!" she heard Karin call out, causing her eyes to widen in disbelief. Without wasting a beat, Sakura darted over to Karin and said, "Who's with the children?!"

"Don't worry, I told them to hide," Karin said. "More importantly, where were you? I thought you said you always had time to greet Sarada-chan after school."

"I had something I needed to take care of," Sakura defensively retorted.

"Good, so you can get back to your child. I need to find Sasuke-kun," Karin snapped. "While tracing his chakra, I started picking up on whatever the hell that is up there, and trust me, no one wants to see whatever's coming down!"

"Ok," Sakura said, knowing now wasn't the time to get into an argument with the other. She gave a wave, then dashed off to her home. Along the way, she heard Shikamaru's voice pop up in her mind.

"Anbu is already in a defensive position. All available nin, please be on standby for further instructions. Our information is severely limited, but we have every reason to believe our opponents are dangerous. Make sure the villagers have taken shelter."

Sakura stepped in through her front door and peered around at the living room. She didn't see the children anywhere, but remembered Karin had ordered them to find hiding places. If the battle was going to be as dangerous as she suspected, Sakura was going to need to get back to the hospital to take her position as Medical Lead.

"I can't leave the children here," she said.

"Sarada-chan, Shimeji-kun," Sakura called out. "C'mon, we need to leave!"

No response.

Sakura quickly thought of all of the major hiding places of her home, and hurried over to the basement door. She opened it, and saw nothing but darkness. Out of the shadows a ninja lunged at her. With her quick reflexes, she back-flipped away from him and took a battle ready stance. She didn't have all of her ninja tools, but she was more than confident her strength would be enough.

It was in the light she saw something disturbing about this ninja. He didn't have eyes, but two gouged-out, empty sockets. All he wore was black, minus the red "reaper" symbol on his left shoulder and the upside down star on the other.

"Who are you?" she asked.

The ninja continued to stare at her as he slowly cocked his head to the side. She hated looking at his eyes, so she focused on his covered lips. He extended his hand to reveal his overly long fingers. With a flick of his wrist, his fingers transformed into blades. His movements were quick, Sakura found herself having a difficulty pin-pointing his exact location. Fortunately, her dodging abilities were on point. Each time he swung, she managed to avoid it at the last moment. She focused her chakra into fist. She had to wait for the right moment, but her opponent's bladed finger spins were trying to leave no openings. Punching into the floor would be dangerous, because of the basement. If this thing was hiding down there, there was no telling if any of his friends were lurking as well.

With a yell Sakura grabbed hold of one of his arms and forced him to the floor. He tried stabbing her with the other hand, but she kicked that arm with the side of her foot, before stepping on it.

Her chakra burned within her other hand as she held it up. "I'll ask you one more time, who are you?"

White smoke trailed out of its eye sockets, causing Sakura's own eyes to widen in horror.

"Sakura-mama don't look at the eyes!" Shimeji said as slammed the pole of the floor lamp on the ninja's face. She blinked rapidly unsure of what happened. Shimeji rushed over to her. The moment he was close the ninja reached out to grab his leg but Sakura slammed her fist down into the intruder's chest, crushing his ribs and instantly killing him. Blood splattered up, coating her arm and her clothes.

"Whoa," the teen exclaimed in amazement.

"Shimeji-kun, who are these people," she asked as her eyes remained locked on the now dead ninja. She watched as its body disintegrated until there was nothing but a large pile of ashes on her now cracked floor.

"And…where's Sarada-chan?" Sakura added.

"Don't worry. She's safe," he answered, but quickly added, "And the scrolls are hidden."

"That's good," Sakura said with a sigh of relief.

Shimeji took a deep breath and continued, "About those guys. A lot of people call them the "Eyeless Ninjas". They say your eyes are the windows to your soul. So, if you look too long into theirs, you'll lose yourself. I've heard they steal your life, sanity and soul. I've never seen it happen, but I've heard a lot of warnings."

"Thank you, Shimeji-kun," Sakura said.

"Sakura-mama, you've been so nice to mom and me, so I want to return the gesture," Shimeji replied with a smile.

Sakura ruffled his dark strands of hair and said, "Let's go find Sarada-chan. I need to head over to the hospital and I'm not leaving your guys here."

"Gotcha," Shimeji answered with a nod.

* * *

A/N: Thank you again for reading another chapter! I'm currently working on writing the second book of my own personal series "Gifted Chains". Please be sure to give **Gifted Chains** a like on facebook. It would mean the world to me. Please review, and be on the look out for chapter 9. Thanks again for your support xoxo


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